The concept of popup villages genuinely excites me.
The idea is simple yet powerful: temporary gatherings in a single physical location, ranging from a week to a few months, bringing together people who can immensely benefit from close interaction to live and work together. After participating in two popup villages this past year (in Montenegro then Istanbul), it’s clear that popup villages can create a unique environment for connection and collaboration.
Think about it: when people who are aligned in their goals and have complementary superpowers come together, the potential for partnership and innovation is enormous. It’s amazing what happens when you create a shared environment where people can break bread, play sports, work out, teach, learn, and have fun together. This proximity fosters a kind of trust and collaboration that just isn't possible in our usual, separated, increasingly remote lives.
What are some examples of use cases for popup villages?
- Think about how in a corporate setting, leaders from different departments usually operate in silos. A popup city could break down organizational barriers, allowing for cross-departmental strategies and ideas to emerge. Imagine something similar to a company retreat but it’s 2-3 weeks – the potential for innovative ideas and critical connections is massive.
- There are many cities or countries aiming to boost their innovation ecosystems. Popup villages can be melting pots for government leaders, local innovators, international partners, journalists, and visionaries. Together as fellow residents of a popup city, they can forge a multi-stakeholder, multi-year roadmap to drive innovation in their city or country.
- You can also imagine how popup villages can transnationally accelerate progress and interest in frontier tech fields. There are a few people newly pursuing a career in the longevity space because they were inspired to believe in the future of the space during their stay in Zuzalu’s Montenegro popup city, where they were exposed to and built relationships with.longevity enthusiasts.
Popup villages are "critical mass machines." By physically bringing together diverse people (perhaps united by a single industry or geography or mission) and giving them time to interact, ideas and collaborations that might never have occurred independently can flourish. And once someone experiences the transformative power of a popup city – whether it's sparking a new idea, changing their career, meeting a co-founder, or accelerating a project – they’ll forever appreciate the immense potential of this concept.
The catalytic power of popup villages isn't just theoretical – history has shown that these types of gatherings can be incredibly impactful. Take, for instance, the story of the Google founders Larry and Sergei meeting Eric Schmidt at Burning Man. Eric would go on to be the CEO of Google, whose leadership saw Google through a superscaling of its operations, an initial public offering, and a period of significant product diversification and global expansion. This is just one example of how these week-long or longer, highly curated coliving gatherings can lead to world-changing connections and companies. Burning Man, with its unique popup village-esque environment, facilitated a meeting that would significantly shape the future of one of the world’s most influential tech companies.
Popup village production deserves to be an industry in their own right, with dedicated professionals crafting these experiences. The world stands to gain so much from more frequent, meaningful interactions among people who need to connect, co-create, and break bread together.
Popup villages aren't just a novel idea; they're a necessary step for people to more quickly accelerate toward futures of their dreams.
What’s Special About A Popup Village?
You may be wondering at this point: What are the key differences between a popup village and a conference or festival?
Here are a few:
- Duration and Permanence: Popup villages are typically longer in duration than festivals or conferences, often lasting from a week to several months. This extended time allows for deeper connections and more sustained collaborative efforts, whereas festivals and conferences are usually short-term events lasting a few days.
- Living and Working Space: Popup villages provide living accommodations, creating a more immersive experience where participants not only attend events but also live and work together. In contrast, festivals and conferences are primarily event-driven, with attendees often staying off-site and coming together only for specific activities or sessions.
- Community and Collaboration Focus: Popup villages are designed to foster a sense of community and ongoing collaboration among participants, encouraging deeper interpersonal connections and continuous project development. Festivals and conferences, while they can be collaborative, are more focused on presentations, performances, or discussions in a structured agenda.
- Purpose and Goals: The goal of a popup village is often centered around specific themes like innovation, entrepreneurship, or social change, with an emphasis on creating tangible outcomes or partnerships. Festivals and conferences are generally more focused on information exchange, education, networking, or entertainment.
- Integration and Environment: Popup villages often integrate more closely with their environment, encouraging participants to engage with the local community and surroundings. Festivals and conferences are usually self-contained within designated venues and have less interaction with the surrounding area.
In summary, while popup villages, festivals, and conferences share some similarities in bringing people together, popup villages are more immersive, longer-term gatherings focused on living, working, and creating sustained community and collaboration.